Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1887-02-12

dent for troops il Decemher. 1854. II .Se
msn we're fnrninhed wha were thus dis
CHARGED. The section allowing this pen
son dee1s however. require besides SER
vloa - threa months and an honcrable
d1eennERe. that thcse seeking the benefit
q the act shal Be sach ..as ars nog e.
nay heEsalteE Be sufsring from msntai
o physical disability not the resnIt Of
their own vloigus habits or groe1 care
leGneaA whaoh inoapaeifztes them from
the performances Of labor in sa1h de-
aree as 70 reader them unable 70 earn
their support snd who are dependsuf,
upon making proof Of this fact 10 Be
placed On re list of invalid penGinnsEs
81 tAs United States and 10 be entitied
20 reeeIya, for s1eh total inability 10 pre-
cure their subsistence b. daily lAbsF,
&l2 per month and such pension shall
eommencs fran the date OF the hlinR II
thslr application in The Pension Offioe
with proof that tie disability then ex-
isted. and continue during the existenes
Of the same degree herein crowded:
Provided, thai The persona uhs are nov
receiving pensions under the existing
laws or whose claims are pending IN the
Pension Ofios may, BY appiicAtion 10
the Commissioners Of Pensions in such
. form as be may prescribe. reeeive the
benefa Of this acf.
Il is manifsstly Of she utmost i'm
porianos that statutes like the pension
laws should Be literally administered
ag gmeaBureg 81 benevolence In behalf Of
worthy bsneheiaFiea They should ed-
mit Of no uncertainty as 10 theif gen
erAl objeets and in consequences upon
careful consideration Of the language Of
theses1ion Of the bill above given, il
seems 10 me 20 be % uncertain and fia-
be 10 such conflicting construction and
10 be subiect TO such unjust and mis-
ehievioas application a. TO alone fur
nieh safiioient ground fer disapprovinR
the proposed legislation. Persons sesk-
tng ts obtain q pension provided by
shis section must Be nov or hereafter.
Frat, suffering from mental or physical
disability; Second, such disability must
not be the result Of theiF own Wees
OF gross carelessneas, Third. this dis
ability must be such as 20 incapacithts
them from the performance Of labor II
sach degree as 10 render them unable
to depend apon their daily labor for
support; Fourth, upon proof Of these
conditions they shall be placed upon
the iists Of invalid pensioners % the
United states. and BY such total in
ability 10 procare their subsistence by
daily labor they shall be entitled 20 el2
per month.
Il ID net probable that the words last
quoted, as1ch total inability 10 procure
their sabsistence By daily labor, quail.
aes the conditions provided ia the pre-
cedinR Language Of the section. The total
Inability spoken Of must Be snch in-
ability a. was already described and
constituted BY the conditions already
detailed in the previous parts Of The
section.
Il thus becomes important TO consider
the meaning and scope Of these last
mentioned conditions. The mental and
physical disability spoken Of has dis
tinct Bearing on the practice Of the
Pension BureAu, and includes every i'm
pairment Of bodily or mental strength
and vieoF. For such there are nov paid
l0l different rates Of pension ranging
from 81 to 800 per month. This dis
ability must not be the result Of the sp-
plicanta vicious habits or gross care
Iessnepa.
The balance Of the voluminous mes
sage fully iusii6es she position Of the
President and IL seems that no matter
Of detail In the entire scheme escaped
bis az ention.